A cruise ship that was stranded in Belfast for four months has set sail. The chief executive of Villa Vie Residences, Mike Petterson, said the ship would dock in Scotland overnight before travelling south.

A cruise ship that was stranded in Belfast for four months has finally set sail – but instead of sailing to its first stop in France, it will make an overnight detour in Scotland, passengers say.

A cruise ship stranded in Belfast for the past four months has finally left Belfast Lough. Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey, which was being fitted out in the city, should have departed in May but was delayed as it needed repairs.

Villa Vie's is not the first extended cruise plan that's run into problems. Another company, Life at Sea Cruises, had scheduled a three year round-the-world cruise - the first of its kind to be relatively affordable - for departure in 2023. That voyage was postponed again and again, before being canceled definitively in November.

The Villa Vie Odyssey had been scheduled to leave Belfast in May but its departure was delayed as it needed repairs. Now it needs to complete administrative paperwork before it can finally depart on its three-year round-the-world cruise.

The luxury cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey finally left Belfast Harbour but had to return - months after it became stranded in Northern Ireland due to unexpected repair works

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A cruise ship taking passengers on a 3 ½-year around-the-world voyage finally sailed from Belfast's dockside, after spending four months stuck in the Northern Ireland capital. Passengers cheered, applauded and hugged the liner’s chief when he confirmed on Monday night that they were ready for departure.